1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns electronic equipment, having a housing chamber, which is disposed inside a main body and is for housing accessories, such as batteries, etc., and specifically concerns the structure of a lid for covering an opening of the housing chamber.
2. Description of the Related Art
Since priorly, various propositions have been made in regard to a structure for housing batteries in compact, portable electronic equipment, such as a camera. For example, there is an arrangement in a main camera body in which the inner side of an action grip portion, which a photographer holds when image-taking is made hollow and this region is used as a battery chamber. Such a structure is employed widely. This structure shall now be described using FIGS. 10 and 11.
In FIG. 10, Reference Numeral 31 denotes a main camera body and 31a is an action grip portion. Reference Numeral 32 denotes a battery lid, which covers an opening for putting and taking batteries into and out from the interior of the main camera body 31. With this camera, the battery lid 32, in the state in which it covers the opening (the state shown in FIG. 10), is slid in the Z (+) direction and then rotated by 90 degrees or more to open the opening.
FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the camera that mainly shows the structure for housing the batteries. This camera is of a type with which four size AA batteries 33 to 36 are housed inside the main camera body 31. Reference Numeral 37 denotes a front cover of the main camera body 31, Reference Numeral 38 denotes a rear cover, and Reference Numeral 39 denotes a battery holder. The space formed by the front cover 37 and the battery holder 39 becomes a battery chamber for housing the size AA batteries 33 to 36.
The structure of the battery lid 32 shall now be described. Reference Numeral 40 denotes a first electrode member that becomes the electrode for the size AA batteries 33 and 36 and has contact portions 40a and 40b that come in contact with the size AA batteries 33 and 36. The first electrode member 40 is mounted via a rotation shaft 41 to a bearing portion 39a of the battery holder 39 and can be rotated by 90 degrees or more about the rotation shaft 41.
Reference Numeral 42 denotes a lid member that forms the exterior of the battery lid 32 and has guide portions 42a and 42b at its inner side. The guide portions 42a and 42b are engaged with sliding portions 40c and 40d of the first electrode member 40 and the sliding portions 40c and 40d are made movable in the Z direction along the guide portions 42a and 42b. 
Engaging portions 42c, 42d, and 42e, which are formed on the lid member 42, can be engaged with claw portions 37a, 37b, and 37c, provided on the front cover 37. Reference Numeral 43 denotes a second electrode member that becomes the electrode for the size AA batteries 34 and 35 and is fixed by a machine screw 44 onto the lid member 42.
With the above-described structure, when the battery lid 32 is slid in the Z (+) direction from the state shown in FIG. 10 (the state in which the opening of the battery chamber is covered), just the lid member 42 moves slidingly. Here, since the first electrode member 40 is supported by the bearing portion 39a via the rotation shaft 41, it is prevented from moving along with the lid member 42. By sliding movement of the lid member 42, the engaging portions 42c, 42d, and 42e become disengaged from the claw portions 37a, 37b, and 37c. When the battery lid 32 is rotated about the rotation shaft 41, the first electrode member 40 and the lid member 42 rotate integrally and then the opening of the battery chamber becomes opened. Insertion or detachment of the size AA batteries 33 to 36 is thereby enabled.
During image-taking, it is important to hold the camera firmly so that camera shake will not occur, and for this purpose, the action grip portion is demanded to have a structure that is easy to hold and can be gripped firmly. In order so that the action grip portion can be held firmly, the action grip portion is required to have an adequate strength that can withstand external forces.
However, in a case where a battery housing chamber (cavity portion) is provided inside the action grip portion as in the above-described prior art, the thickness of the action grip portion becomes thin and the strength and rigidity may become insufficient.
With the above-described prior art, since the battery lid 32 simply covers the opening of the battery chamber, when the camera body 31 (action grip portion 31a) receives a large external force, it is bent readily and the inner walls (especially at the opening) of the battery chamber deform.
When the battery chamber deforms, the batteries 33 to 36 that are housed inside the battery chamber and the electrode members 40 and 43 of the battery lid 32 are put in a non-contacting state instantaneously and this may prevent the normal supplying of power from the batteries. In such a state, the electronic circuits provided inside the camera body 31 and the holding of recorded information may be subject to adverse effects.